


Withered Flowers

by DailyDianakko



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: AU, Akko is a sad baby, Alternate Universe, Angst, Diakko, F/F, Gen, Relationship is mostly implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26039020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DailyDianakko/pseuds/DailyDianakko
Summary: Akko wishes she could go far away.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish & Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 3
Kudos: 80





	Withered Flowers

Chains scraped the rock with Akko’s every movement, however small. The shackles on her wrists pinched and tugged at her skin as she slowly etched another line into the stone. The overhang was littered with the numerous white gashes. Each one had been carefully carved with her claws. She pulled her hand back and blew the dust away, not even bothering to flinch at the grating sound of iron on stone. She had become all too used to the noise over the years. After all, today marked the hundredth year of her imprisonment. 

Akko turned away from the rock and listlessly looked out at the forest around her. Dead trees littered a barren landscape. Grey stone on rotting wood as far as her eyes could see. The only sign of life that could be seen was a single flower, peeking from the cracks in the rock by her feet. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Akko could remember when the forest had been full of life. Birds had filled the treetops with song during the day and the raucous calls of foxes had filled the night. Since her imprisonment, the forest had waned drastically.

Shifting slightly, Akko flexed her toes in a futile attempt to ward off the weariness in her limbs. The unpleasant tingle was always present. A side effect from her years trapped in this rocky hollow. In an effort to stave off the numbness that was creeping up her legs, Akko turned her thoughts inward. It had been long enough. Had they written legends about her? Had stories of a sealed Oni of destruction begun to be woven beside the hearth fires at night? Did tales of a monster who lived by absorbing the life force of others creep into children’s nightmares? Would mothers warn their children not to come into the cursed forest, lest the meat fall from their bones, and they rot away?

She snorted to herself quietly. Akko only lived as others did, consuming life to nourish her own. The only difference is that her method was more direct.  _ And more chaotic _ , a bitter voice in the back of her mind whispered. Bile rose in her throat as she remembered the day that she had been sealed here. Akko had been so small, so young. The red headed wandering hero Akok had admired did not hesitate to trick Akko into her manacles. Akko had been told it was for her own safety; that left unchecked she would destroy the world. Akko would have rather her hero killed her.

She had been told that “death was a part of living, and you have just as much right to life as the rest of us.” The words hadn’t been for Akko;that she knew now. It had been said merely to ease the conscience of her captor. Her hero had lied and betrayed her. Left Akko to rot for all time, while  _ she _ enjoyed wandering the world. Akko let out a bitter laugh. Human lifespans were short, and Akko had obviously been forgotten. Left to gaze out at the ruined forest. There would be no hero to save her, the villain in this tale.

“Why are you laughing?” Akko froze at the sound of someone else speaking. She whipped around to identify the speaker and flinched, startled from the deafening clatter of the chains striking the ground. A human woman stood before her. Her blonde hair had green highlights; almost as if it were stained with chlorophyll, and her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with merriment. Her clothes were like nothing Akko had seen before, pale blue robes that folded over in on itself. She looked like she was wearing a flower. So caught up in her thoughts, Akko failed to respond to the stranger.

“Well? Can you speak?” The stranger cocked her head and placed her hands on her hips. A small tapping noise filled the hollow as she tapped her foot in impatience. “It is rude to keep someone waiting.”

“I can speak.” Akko’s voice sounded harsh with disuse. “Who are you?” She glared distrustfully at the woman. The last contact she had with a human ended in her bound in chains. If her luck ran the same way with this one, she would probably end up with a knife in her back. Death, while an escape from her prison, was something Akko would rather confront on her own terms. After all, she still wanted what had been denied to her all these years. To travel the world herself and see what it had to offer.

“I am a traveler, you may call me Diana.” Diana said with a curtsey. “May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?” Diana straightened up and smiled expectantly at Akko.

“I’m Akko, the Oni who was sealed here one hundred years ago.” Akko said while she scrubbed at her eyes with her hand. She couldn’t believe a human had wondered their way into this forest. Had she been forgotten after all these years?

“Oh I know,” Diana responded, rocking on her heels. “I came to bring you stories.”

“Stories?” Akko said with a huff. She’d rather have her freedom and learn of the world herself, firsthand. Besides, why would humanity offer her news now? It had been a hundred years since anyone last visited her prison. Akko felt her claws click against her chains absentmindedly. Perhaps this human could offer information, as well as a way to free Akko from her chains. “I would like to hear them.”

Diana let out a bright laugh. It was full of life and joy, and Akko was enchanted. “Very well. What would you like to hear first?”

“Tell me of the ocean” Akko demanded. News of the cities could wait, after all had never seen the ocean before. All she knew from tales told to her as a child was that it was water that stretched onwards without end. She felt a spark of excitement light in her chest. It had been ages since she felt like this. Caught up in the moment, Akko scooted forwards until her chains gently tugged her back in recoil. She quickly settled herself down and looked at Diana expectantly.

“Well,” Diana began, sitting gently down on the ground and crossing her legs. “The ocean stretches far beyond the horizon. The shore is awash in treasures, and the water tastes sweet. Every night it spits out the moon and swallows the sun.”

“Does it? Does it really?” Akko’s hand closed tight around her shackles, and her knuckles went white from the pressure. She felt a gnawing urge to see the ocean and to taste the sweet water. She only knew the taste of the bitter rainwater that collected into the pools around her prison, and a faded memory of the clear taste of the water from the village well.

“Yes. The ocean is gentle and is as placid as could be. The fish have scales of gold and silver. All I speak is the truth.” Diana said as she made grand sweeping gestures with her hand. She paused and met Akko’s eyes. The Oni couldn’t sense any deceit in her words. Akko felt her heart beat faster in desire. She too wanted to see the fish flicker in the calm water, and to pick up rare treasure off the shoreline. She listened to Diana speak more about the sea and what it had to offer. As Diana spoke, the shadows slowly grew longer. Night was falling.

When Diana slowly moved to get up, Akko let out a cry of despair. “Will you come again tomorrow?” The brunette’s eyes flickered anxiously. She couldn’t let Diana leave. She needed to know more. She hungered to know about the world she had been denied.

“Of course, I will be here awhile yet. When I visit again tomorrow, I shall tell you of life in the capitol.” Diana said with a small wave. Akko closed her eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. The human would come back. When she opened them, Diana had already left the area. With a sigh, the Oni settled down for a restless night, thoughts of the ocean and capitol flitting through her mind.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Akko woke up from her restless sleep, Diana was already there. Her clothes looked a little duller than they had the day before, but it was probably due to the weak morning sun peeking up over the horizon. Akko stretched and settled back down. Her legs trembled in impatience. “Tell me of the capitol, please.” She said with her eyes trained on Diana.

Akko stiffened with anticipation when Diana gave her an impish grin. “Well, the streets are paved with marble.” Diana began as she gestured low. Akko closed her eyes and tried to imagine it. “Fountains inlaid with gold line the square, and the water is clean and cool. Along the streets there are many vendors, each one with more beautiful wares than the last.”

“I can see it.” Akko murmured. In her mind’s eye she could practically hear the bustle of people and the smell of food carts. She saw golden trinkets and rolls of silk. She could feel the spray of marble fountains beveled with gold and see the reflection of the shining water on the street.

“The palace is made of carved gemstones, and the floors are polished pearl. At the front gate are statues of the grand witch Chariot. They stand tall and people offer sacrifices of wheat and wine to honor her, and pray to her spirit for protection.”

Akko held her tongue at the mention of her once-revered hero. Of course they would honour the hero who saved them from calamity. The brave traveler who chained her to this desolate rock. She clenched her teeth in rage. She had to know what the people were saying about her. If the stories told of Chariot’s true feat of chaining a mere child to a rock and leaving her to rot.

“Tell me, Diana. Do they tell stories about me?” Akko looked down at the stone. She had memorized the surface long ago. She had watched the wind wear the once sharp nicks in the stone smooth over time. One hundred years was enough to change the surface of rock. It surely was enough time for people to change a shameful story into one of glory.

“They do.”Diana said, her voice dropping low. “The legends tell of a terrible monster. An ugly ogre who roamed the land and vowed to destroy all life. It is said that Chariot sealed it away out of pity instead of giving it the judgment it deserved.”

“Do you think I’m terrible?” Akko asked. Her eyes reluctantly met Diana’s. She was afraid of what she would see. Would there be dark and deep loathing that directed at Akko for being a frightening monster? Would watery pity be reflected back? What about shame, for the sin that a fellow human inflicted on Akko.

“No.” Diana spoke slowly. Her eyes looked into Akko’s. A calm blue gazing into a tumultuous red. “I think you’re quite strange.”

“Strange?” Akko’s head cocked to the side, her anger replaced with confusion.

“Would you say I’m beautiful?” Diana asked as she gently ran her finger through the dirt.

“...Yes.” Akko answered reluctantly. Her cheeks tinged with red. An uncomfortable warm feeling had risen in her chest, and she quickly shook her head in an effort to disperse the feeling.

“What makes you say that?”

Akko couldn’t answer. Obviously Diana was beautiful, she was bright and colorful. She was just like a flower in full bloom. But what makes a flower beautiful? Is it the color, the scent? Is it the silky feel of the petals? Akko’s mouth dropped open as the answer struck her. A flower is only beautiful because others think it to be. Anything has the ability to be beautiful, since beauty was something assigned by others. Akko wondered if she too could be considered beautiful.

“Well,” Diana said looking up at the sky. “It appears you have your answer. I’ll be back tomorrow. I’ll tell you whatever you wish.” With that, Diana walked off into the morning mist. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day it was raining. The cold water poured from the sky and dripped through the cracks in the stone. The hollows in the rock had filled with water, almost to the point of overflowing.

Akko sat huddled in a corner completely drenched. She had curled in on herself in an attempt to keep warm. Unfortunately, the cold metal manacles on her wrists and ankles sapped away at the warmth in her body. At least she wouldn’t be thirsty for quite some time. She would be able to drink from the puddles for quite some time.

When Diana appeared before her out of the rainy mist, Akko gave a startled jump. The sound of the water must have disguised Diana’s footsteps. The weather must have been affecting Diana as well. She looked a little faded, and there were brown streaks along the hem of her clothes. A result of the mud, no doubt. Akko watched as Diana sat on the sodden earth without a care.

“What would you like to hear about today, Akko?” Diana asked, as if completely unbothered by the rain. 

“Aren’t you cold?” Akko said with a sniffle. Humans were much more delicate than Oni. Akko couldn’t believe Diana was even out in this weather. She wasn’t even shivering.

“I quite like the rain,” Diana said with a smile as she tilted her palms to the sky. “It makes the earth smell fresh.”

“I guess.” Akko grumbled. She tucked her arms around her waist a little tighter, staving off a shiver. She blinked as a drop of water fell onto her nose. Akko couldn’t fathom why Diana would rather sit completely unprotected outside of the overhang. She could only reach halfway across, so Diana couldn’t be scared of being attacked. “Why don’t you come inside at least? I don’t want you getting sick.”

Diana’s gentle smile turned a little strained at Akko’s question. “I would, but I have been forbidden from doing so. Shall I tell you about the great forest?”

Akko nodded. It obviously looked like it was something Diana didn’t want to do. The cold feeling that came with the thought of possibly losing Diana was unpleasant. Akko didn’t want to chase her one friend off by prying too deeply. There would be time. After all, Akko wasn’t going anywhere. Unless she was freed, she would be here for the rest of eternity. Akko gave a shiver and focused her attention once more on Diana. She wanted to hear about the Forest of Ancients.

With a small smile she listened as Diana wove a tale about trees as tall as giants. As she closed her eyes, images of a forest filled with flowers made of colored glass and clear streams began to fill her mind. The rain was slowly drowned out by the sound of trees whispering to her tales from before the days of mankind. She could smell the loamy soil and see strange woodland creatures. Deer made from living wood, tigers the size of elephants with sharpened tusks, and frogs that sang intricate melodies. As Diana finished her story, she paused for a moment. 

“Akko,” Diana said as Akko slowly fell out of the daydream. “If I were to die, would you be sad?” 

Akko didn’t quite know how to respond. “I’d miss your stories,” She said after a moment. “I’d miss learning about the world.” It was the truth. Diana was useful to Akko. She was a source of stories and a buffer against loneliness.

“But would you miss me?” Diana asked again insistently.

Akko said nothing, still deep in thought. She was thinking about Diana and the light that she had brought to her prison.

Diana looked up at the sky. “I’d like it if you were to miss me. But don’t forget me. Think about me sometimes, and the time we spent together. After all, I was born for this kind of purpose.”

“You won’t die.” Akko said, suddenly feeling anxiety claw at her heart. “You never stay long enough for my power to affect you. You’ll be here for a while yet.” She reached out desperately at Diana. Akko could taste the bile on her tongue and hear her heartbeat. She couldn’t lose Diana, or her stories.

“I wonder.” Diana said with a gentle smile. It didn’t quite reach her eyes, and looked more sad than happy. Akko watched as Diana sifted the wet dirt through her fingers for a brief moment. She had to bite her tongue when the rain stopped and Diana finally stood up to go. Without the rain interfering with her sight, Akko could see Diana fully.

The ends of her cloak looked frayed, and her eyes were tired. Diana still had that same smile on her face, but it looked more strained. “Will you be back?” Akko said. Her voice was barely a whisper, and she turned her eyes to the stone. She didn’t want to see Diana look like that. Like she was sickly and worn.

“Maybe.” Akko heard Diana say. When she looked up to gaze one last time at Diana, she was gone. Akko grit her teeth and held her chains tightly in her hands. Diana would be back. She had no reason to leave. She would be fine and she’d visit Akko again, and tell her more stories about the world around her.

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When morning rose once more, Akko waited for Diana to come back. She sat straining her ears to hear footsteps or the brush of cloth on stone. She waited until the shadows grew long and covered the hollow she was imprisoned in. Finally wreathed in darkness, Akko sobbed. When the sun pierced the shadows in the morning, Akko looked about once more with tear stained eyes. Diana was nowhere in sight. There was no bright blue among the dead trees. No sight of her strange streaked hair among the gray stone.There was nothing in Akko’s hollow indicating Diana had been there. The only thing that remained in Akko’s prison were her chains and a small withered flower.

**Author's Note:**

> yes im aware this is bad, yes im taking constructive criticism.


End file.
